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<title>Chapter 01</title>
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	<h3 align="center">Chapter One</h2>
	<h4 align="center">man-manä bhava</h3>
	
	<h2 align="center">Always Think of Me</h2>

	<p align="justify">
	The scriptures describe many spiritual places, but in the entire 
universe there is no place like Våndävana. Çré Kåñëa and His 
eternal associates performed pastimes there that are unique. 
One who knows the glories of Våndävana will understand this, 
especially if he has received the mercy of Våndävana. 
	</p >
	
	<p align="justify">The instructions of the Bhagavad-gétäserve as a foundation 
for understanding these things, and upon this foundation is 
the palace of Çrémad-Bhägavatamwith its twelve floors (twelve 
cantos). If the foundation of Bhagavad-gétäis not there, we will 
only be able to understand Çrémad-Bhägavatamin a mundane 
way and everything will be ruined.</p>

	<p align="justify">In the Gétä(18.65) we find this verse:</p>
	
	<div align="center">man-manä bhava mad-bhakto</div>
	<div align="center">mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru</div>
	<div align="center">mäm evaiñyasi satyaà te</div>
	<div align="center">pratijäne priyo ’si me</div>
	
	<p align="justify">Absorb your mind and heart in Me, become My devotee, worship 
Me, offer your obeisances to Me, and then certainly you will come 
to Me. I make this promise to you because you are very dear to Me.</p>

	<p align="justify">Of all verses in the Bhagavad-gétä, this is the best. It is even 
better than the verse that comes after it (18.66), in which Kåñëa 
says, sarva-dharmän parityajya: “Give up all forms of religiosity 
and come exclusively to My shelter. I will free you from all 
sinful reactions. Do not fear.”</p>
	
	<p align="justify">Although this is the final verse, and Kåñëa is telling us to 
abandon our dharma(religious and worldly duties), we may think 
that some sinful reaction may come to us. But Kåñëa says, “I am 
responsible for that. I will excuse you from all sins.” Whether it 
is making our parents or brothers and relatives cry, or it is a wife 
making her husband cry, or a husband making his wife cry, not 
doing our duty to society, and not following varëäçrama-dharma
these are all adharma, irreligious actions, and sinful reaction will 
come to anyone who does these things. But Kåñëa says, “I promise 
that I will at once free you from any sinful reaction.”</p>
	<p align="justify">The verse that we will describe here, “man-manä bhava...,” 
is even better than this verse. The verse “sarva-dharmän 
parityajya...” gives instruction for çaraëägati, how to surrender 
to God. But this verse gives the fruit of that surrender, and is 
therefore even more exalted.</p>
	<p align="justify">When we read Bhagavad-gétäthoroughly, and look through the 
commentaries of the illustrious spiritual teachers in our line, we 
see that there are five levels of instructions. First, there are general 
instructions for everyone. After this secret instructions (guhya), 
then more secret (guhyatara), then most secret (guhyatama), and 
finally the most secret of all secrets (sarva-guhyatama). These 
instructions are not given in an expanded form, but in the form of 
condensed verses.</p>

	<div align="center">sarvopaniñado gävo</div>
	<div align="center">dogdhä gopäla-nandanaù</div>
	<div align="center">pärtho vatsaù sudhér bhoktä</div>
	<div align="center">dugdhaà gétämåtaà mahat</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä-mähätmyam (5)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">All the scriptures – the Vedas, Puräëas, Upaniñads – are like 
a cow, and Arjuna is the calf. First the cow feeds a little milk to 
her calf, and she becomes happy by that. Then the milkman Çré 
Kåñëa milks the cow, and keeps the remainder of the milk aside. 
Who is the remainder for? It is for those whose intelligence is 
pure. Whose intelligence is pure? Is the intelligence of the great 
scientists and scholars of this world pure? The Bhägavatamdoesn’t 
say this. It says that the truly intelligent person is one who performs 
bhagavad-bhajana, worship of the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa, and 
who is expert in relishing the liquid mellows of devotion to the 
Lord. One who has understood that engaging in bhagavad-bhajana
is the essence of life is purely intelligent. After the cow has first fed 
her calf a little milk, Kåñëa keeps the remainder in a pot for those 
that are of pure intelligence, who are dear to Him.</p>

	<h3 align="center">General instructions</h3>

	<p align="justify">For ordinary people, Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa has said:</p>
	
		<div align="center">yuktähära-vihärasya</div>
	<div align="center">yukta-ceñöasya karmasu</div>
	<div align="center">yukta-svapnävabodhasya</div>
	<div align="center">yogo bhavati duùkha-hä</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (6.17)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">Don’t eat or sleep too much, and be regulated in working 
and recreation, otherwise you will not be able to attain that 
rare yogawherein a soul meets his Creator. In this verse He has 
given the general knowledge that we are not these bodies. Be 
detached from the desires of the body and don’t act for them.</p>

	<div align="center">jätasya hi dhruvo måtyur</div>
	<div align="center">dhruvaà janma måtasya ca</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (2.27)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">“One who has taken birth will certainly die, and afterwards 
he will certainly take birth again. Therefore you should not 
grieve for that which is inevitable.” Arjuna was crying for 
everyone – for his son, wife, relatives, friends – and we are also 
crying for our relatives and friends.</p>

		<div align="center">açocyän anvaçocas tvaà</div>
	<div align="center">prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase</div>
	<div align="center">gatäsün agatäsüàç ca</div>
	<div align="center">nänuçocanti paëòitäù</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (2.11)</div>

		<p align="justify">Those who are wise despair neither for the living nor the 
dead. Everyone will die, and those that don’t go today will go 
tomorrow or the next day. Don’t cry or worry for them, because 
inside the body is the soul.</p>

		<div align="center">nainaà chindanti çasträëi</div>
	<div align="center">nainaà dahati pävakaù</div>
	<div align="center">na cainaà kledayanty äpo</div>
	<div align="center">na çoñayati märutaù</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (2.23)</div>

	<p align="justify">“The soul cannot be harmed by any weapon, burnt by 
fire, moistened by water or withered by the wind.” The soul 
is eternal, but the body is subject to death, so don’t be overly 
concerned about the body. </p>
	<p align="justify">In what way should one be concerned for the body? 
When one is enlightened, one can realise that Bhagavän 
has given this body in the form of a temple for the purpose 
of performing worship of Him.Therefore, it should be cared 
for; we should keep it clean and repair it. Otherwise we 
won’t be able to do bhajana (worship). To this extent, caring 
for the body is all right, but it should be done with a spirit of
detachment. In the end Bhagavän will ask for it back, and it 
must be returned. He will ask, “I have given you such a rare and 
valuable human form, and what have you done with it?”</p>
	<p align="justify">Thus, He has spoken verses like this:</p>
	
			<div align="center">yä niçä sarva-bhütänäà</div>
	<div align="center">tasyäà jägarti saàyamé</div>
	<div align="center">yasyäà jägrati bhütäni</div>
	<div align="center">sä niçä paçyato muneù</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (2.69)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">“While ordinary people sleep, the sage is awake 
	in self-realisation, and while the sage sleeps, ordinary people are awake 
in sense gratification.” Therefore you should simply engage in 
bhagavad-bhajanaand considering happiness and distress to be 
the same go on doing your duty. Up to this point, it is general 
instruction.</p>

	<h3 align="center">The secret instruction</h3>
	
	<p align="justify">After this comes guhya, secret instruction, which is knowledge 
of spirit. The soul is brahman, its true nature is spirit.</p>

			<div align="center">sthita-prajïasya kä bhäñä</div>
	<div align="center">samädhi-sthasya keçava</div>
	<div align="center">sthita-dhéù kià prabhäñeta</div>
	<div align="center">kim äséta vrajeta kim</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (2.54)</div>

	<p align="justify">Arjuna asks, “What are the symptoms of a person whose 
consciousness is absorbed in spirit (brahman)? How does he 
speak, how does he sit and how does he walk?”</p>
	<p align="justify">In the eighteenth chapter the conclusion is given:</p>
	
				<div align="center">brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä</div>
	<div align="center">na çocati na käìkñati</div>
	<div align="center">samaù sarveñu bhüteñu</div>
	<div align="center">mad-bhaktià labhate paräm</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (18.54)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">One who is situated in brahmansees spirit everywhere and 
thinks, “I am also brahman.” These thoughts will help him to 
meditate on brahman, and he will not experience happiness or 
distress. He remains steady throughout whatever comes to him, 
and merges his consciousness in brahman.</p>

	<div align="center">karmaëy evädhikäras te</div>
	<div align="center">mä phaleñu kadäcana</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (2.47)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">Çré Kåñëa says, “Go on doing your duty and don’t desire 
the fruits of your labour.” In a basic way, this is brahma-jïäna,
knowledge of our spiritual nature.</p>

	<h3 align="center">More secret instructions</h3>

	<p align="justify">After this comes guhyatara, a more secret instruction, which 
is paramätma-jïäna, knowledge of the Supersoul. There are 
two classes of beings: fallible and infallible. Beyond these 
two classes is the Supersoul, an expansion of the Supreme 
Personality of Godhead who resides in the hearts of all living 
entities. Meditate on Him, and if you don’t reach Him, try 
again. If you fail to reach Him, try again.</p>

	<div align="center">kleço ’dhikataras teñäm</div>
	<div align="center">avyaktäsakta-cetasäm</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (12.5)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">Kåñëa tells Arjuna, “That formless brahmanthat I mentioned 
to you before – don’t go there. Beware! There will be more 
difficulty in trying to attach your consciousness to something 
formless.” Instead, meditate on the Supersoul within the heart. 
One who connects with Him is a real renunciate (sannyäsé)
and a real yogé.</p>

	<div align="center">sa sannyäsé ca yogé ca</div>
	<div align="center">na niragnir na cäkriyaù</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (6.1)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">One does not become a real sannyäséjust by performing fire 
sacrifices, or by muttering “I am brahman”. This is all more 
secret instruction.</p>

	<h3 align="center">The most secret and the most secret of all</h3>

	<p align="justify">And guhyatama, most secret, is given in the ninth chapter. Pure 
devotion (bhakti)is given there, but it is devoid of knowledge of the 
transcendental loving relationships and exchanges (rasa)between the 
Lord and His devotees. Although it is pure bhakti, it is not full of rasa.</p>
	<p align="justify">At the end of the eighteenth chapter, the most secret of all 
secrets (sarva-guhyatama), is given. It is full of rasa, and is the 
highest limit of bhakti:</p>

				<div align="center">sarva-guhyatamaà bhüyaù</div>
	<div align="center">çåëu me paramaà vacaù</div>
	<div align="center">iñöo ’si me dåòham iti</div>
	<div align="center">tato vakñyämi te hitam</div>

				<div align="center">man-manä bhava mad-bhakto</div>
	<div align="center">mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru</div>
	<div align="center">mäm evaiñyasi satyaà te</div>
	<div align="center">pratijäne priyo ’si me</div>
	<div align="right" class="ref">Bhagavad-gétä (18.64–5)</div>
	
	<p align="justify">“Because you are very dear to Me, I am telling you this most 
confidential of all instructions.” What is that instruction? Prior 
to this, Çré Kåñëa had explained the worship of Bhagavän with 
awareness of His opulence. This is worship of the Lord in his 
form as Näräyaëa. However, in this verse, four extraordinary 
activities are described. The first is man-manä bhava, always 
think of Me; the second is mad-bhakto, become My devotee; 
the third is mad-yäjé, worship Me; and the fourth is  mäà 
namaskuru, offer obeisances to Me. If you cannot do the first, 
then do the second. If you can’t do that, then do the third. If 
you can’t do that, then just offer obeisances, and everything 
will follow from that.</p>

<h3 align="center">Absorb your mind and heart in me</h3>
	<p align="justify">Now we will speak on the first part of this verse: man-manä bhava– “Absorb your mind and heart in Me.” This is 
not a simple thing. If we want to absorb the mind in any one 
activity, we must fix our eyes, ears, nose and all our senses on 
it. If the mind cannot concentrate on something, it is more or 
less uncontrolled. Sometimes our mind is contemplating sense 
enjoyment, and sometimes we think about Kåñëa. This is the 
conditioned state. The highest form of worship is to fully absorb 
the mind in the lotus feet of Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa.</p>
	<p align="justify">When will this be possible? In the beginning stage of faith 
(çraddhä), it is not possible. Then the stage of spiritual taste 
for devotional practice (ruci), will come, and still it won’t be 
possible. In the stage of spiritual attachment (äsakti), we can 
give perhaps one-half of our heart to Him. In the stage of 
devotional ecstasy (bhäva), maybe we can give three-quarters 
of our heart to Him. It is only in the stage of pure divine love 
(prema), that we can fully give our hearts to Kåñëa.</p>
	<p align="justify">The gopés (cowherd damsels) of Våndävana have set the 
ideal example of absorption in Kåñëa. They are Kåñëa’s topmost 
devotees, and their love for Him is unparalleled. After Kåñëa
had left Våndävana, He sent His very intimate friend Uddhava 
to console the gopés. Kåñëa told Uddhava, “When you get to 
Våndävana, you will meet the gopés, who are the most dear to 
Me. They have given their hearts to Me completely, and they 
know nothing besides Me. They have even forgotten all of their 
bodily needs and functions.</p>
	<p align="justify">“What is the condition of someone who has forgotten all 
bodily needs? They have forgotten eating, drinking, bathing, 
decorating themselves with ornaments and clothing, and 
arranging their hair. Their bodies will certainly become thin 
and weak. In their love for Me they have forgotten all of their 
bodily relations: their husbands, sons, friends, brothers, wealth 
and property. They have no love for anyone but Me. Day and 
night they are deeply remembering Me.</p>
		<p align="justify">“Uddhava, in this world you have not seen such an example 
of how one person can give her heart to another. Somehow or 
other the gopésare holding onto their lives. How much longer 
can they live like this? I don’t know if they can be saved or 
not. Therefore go quickly, and save their lives. Give them My 
message: ‘I am definitely coming to Våndävana tomorrow or the 
next day.’ For this they are holding onto their lives. They will 
think, ‘Kåñëa has said that He is coming, and He cannot tell a 
lie.’ Clutching onto this hope, it is as if their lives are hanging 
on a delicate tree limb. If the limb breaks, they will fall and give 
up their lives. So go quickly.”</p>
	<p align="justify">The gopésare the perfect example of absorbing the mind and 
heart in Kåñëa, man-manä bhava. We understand that giving 
our heart to someone is very difficult, but if someone takes our 
heart, then it becomes very easy. Otherwise we are simply unable 
to give our hearts. In the Kaöha Upaniñad(1.2.23) it says:</p>

				<div align="center">näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo</div>
	<div align="center">na medhayä na bahunä çrutena</div>
	<div align="center">yam evaiña våëute tena labhyas</div>
	<div align="center">tasyaiña ätmä vivåëute tanüà sväm</div>
	
	<p align="justify">“Kåñëa reveals Himself only to whom He chooses. Only that 
person can realise Him, no one else. Being pleased with that 
person’s attitude of service, Kåñëa manifests His own form.”</p>
	<p align="justify">Çré Kåñëa will select a heart that is dear to Him and then 
say, “Come, I will take your heart.” Even if we really desire to 
give our heart to Kåñëa, it is very difficult. But if He desires to 
take our heart, then it is possible. But we must make our heart 
such that when Kåñëa sees us it will inspire greed within Him. 
The heart must be pure in all ways; if there is any impurity 
remaining there, He will not take it. However, mere purity is 
also not sufficient, for many jïänés (spiritual philosophers)also 
have hearts that are pure. We must add some special fragrance 
that will attract Kåñëa. Bhakti-rasa, the ecstatic moods of 
transcendental service in direct relationship to Kåñëa, should 
be flowing in the heart. That is why the gopésof Våndävana are 
so dear to Kåñëa; their hearts are full of this bhakti-rasa.</p>

	<h3 align="center">Stealing the heart</h3>

	<p align="justify">How does Kåñëa take a heart? This story will show how. 
Kåñëa would take the cows out to graze for the day in the 
forests of Våndävana. His complexion was the colour of a dark 
raincloud, and His curly, black hair dangled around His face. 
He appeared very beautiful and charming. His friends were 
spread out in the four directions chanting, “Sädhu! Sädhu!” 
(meaning “Excellent! Excellent!”). They were praising Kåñëa 
and singing and playing their flutes and horns. Even the blind
people of Vraja would come out to try and see Kåñëa and His 
friends as they celebrated.</p>
	<p align="justify">Someone would ask, “Where are you going?”</p>
	<p align="justify">Another would reply, “I am going to see Kåñëa. Take my 
hand, let’s go!” And with great eagerness they would go.</p>
	<p align="justify">All the people of Vraja surrounded the road to see Kåñëa 
taking the cows out to graze. Kåñëa’s parents, Mother Yaçodä 
and Nanda Bäbä were following behind Him saying, “My son, 
come back soon, don’t go too far away!”</p>
	<p align="justify">Time and again Kåñëa requested them to go back to their 
home. Finally, when He promised that He would return later in 
the day, they slowly went back to their home.</p>
	<p align="justify">There were many newly married girls who had just arrived 
in Vraja to live in the homes of their husbands. They all went 
to the doors of their houses to catch a glimpse of Kåñëa. Some 
peered through the windows, some climbed up on the roofs, 
and others climbed to the tops of trees in the nearby groves.</p>
		<p align="justify">Kåñëa was also searching. He always wanted to see the new 
girls. In one house, there was a new girl who had just been 
married two or three days before. She had heard how beautiful 
Kåñëa appears when He takes the cows out to graze. When she 
heard He was coming with the cows, her heart became very 
restless and eager to see Him. But her new mother-in-law and 
sister-in-law were sitting outside the door. Her sister-in-law was 
especially harsh towards her. They were telling her, “You are 
not going! We are going, but you cannot. There is a black snake 
out there, and if it bites you, you will never be able to remove its 
poison. Therefore stay in the house! We will be back soon.”</p>
	<p align="justify">The girl said, “You are going! And you say that I should just 
sit here in the house? I will also go!”</p>
	<p align="justify">“No, it’s dangerous – don’t go! Your heart is very immature, 
and you will never be able to remove the snake’s poison. You 
just sit here.”</p>
	<p align="justify">“Nevertheless, I will go with you!”</p>
	<p align="justify">“No, it’s dangerous! You won’t go.”</p>
	<p align="justify">“Then I will go alone. All the wives, elderly people, boys, 
girls, birds, beasts and insects of Vraja are going to see Kåñëa. 
And in all of Våndävana, only I will not be allowed to see Him? 
Certainly I will go!”</p>
	<p align="justify">“No, you won’t!”</p>
	<p align="justify">“I am most certainly going! Even if you throw me out of this 
household I will go!”</p>
	<p align="justify">Then, seeing that Kåñëa was coming near, the mother-in-law 
and sister-in-law quickly ran to see Him. When they left, the 
girl stepped forward and began peering out through the crack 
in the door. Her position was such that she could see out, but 
no one could see her. Kåñëa was holding the flute to His lips 
and playing so sweetly, it seemed that the nectar of His heart 
was emanating through the holes of the flute and inundating 
the entire area of Våndävana. Those eyes which have not seen 
Kåñëa in this way are useless. Only the eyes which have seen 
this beautiful scene are successful.</p>
	<p align="justify">Thegopéswere worshipping Kåñëa with their eyes. How? 
Their eyes were like lamps, and the pure love in their hearts 
was like the oil. Their eyes were burning as they circled Kåñëa’s 
form with loving sidelong glances, and they performed worship 
of Kåñëa with these glances. With great happiness, Kåñëa 
became shy and accepted all of them.</p>
		<p align="justify">At the same time, He was looking in the direction of that new 
girl behind the door. Kåñëa may or may not want to see someone,
but if someone really wants to see Him, He will reciprocate with 
that person. That day He wanted to see that new girl first of all. He 
wanted to leave everyone else behind and go there immediately. 
So, He played a trick using one of His calves. Grabbing the tail of 
the calf, He gave it a twist, and the calf ran directly to that girl’s 
door, as if it had been trained for that very purpose. At once 
Kåñëa and the calf arrived at the door. Standing in His 
threefold-bending posture, with the flute to His lips, and smiling, He gave 
His audience to that girl. Finished! Her very heart came out from 
her and He took it and went on His way. She could only stand 
motionlessly. This is taking a heart: man-manä bhava.</p>
	<p align="justify">If someone attains the mercy of Kåñëa, then certainly He 
will take their heart. If we are especially eager, wondering in 
our minds, “When will I be able to see the beautiful form of 
Çré Kåñëa?” then Kåñëa will be so pleased and come and take 
our hearts. That girl had performed austerities for millions of 
years for this opportunity, and that day she became completely 
successful.</p>
	<p align="justify">She was left standing motionlessly. Fifteen or twenty minutes 
passed since Kåñëa had left and entered the forest. The dust 
raised by the boys and their cows had long settled. The girl was 
still standing motionlessly because without her heart or mind, 
she was helpless. Then the cruel sister-in-law said to her, “The 
black snake Çyämasundara has bitten you, and now you will 
never be able to remove the poison!”</p>
	<p align="justify">Shaking the girl, she somehow managed to bring her inside the 
house. “Here! Take this churning stick and churn some yoghurt. 
By doing some hard work your mind will return to you.”</p>
	<p align="justify">But the girl took the wrong pot, and instead began churning 
mustard seeds. It made a terrible noise. Sometimes she would
churn, and sometimes she would stop. Where was her mind and 
heart? Kåñëa had taken them: man-manä bhava.</p>
	<p align="justify">Again the sister-in-law came and said, “What are you doing? I 
will complain to my mother about you!” At once the mother-in-law 
came and said, “Lift up this pot. Go and bring water.” They 
placed a large pot on her head, and on top of that, a smaller pot. 
They also gave her a small child and said, “Look after this child 
and see that he doesn’t cry!” They put a long rope in her hand 
to lower the pots down into the well, and sent her off.</p>
	<p align="justify">And so she went. When she arrived at the well, she made a 
noose for lowering the pot down into the well. But instead of 
wrapping the noose around the pot, she placed it around the 
child as if she was going to lower him into the well! Everyone 
nearby shouted, “Hey! What are you doing?” They came 
running over, and took the rope from her hands, saving the 
child.</p>
	<p align="justify">One gopésaid, “It appears that a ghost has possessed her!”</p>
	<p align="justify">Another gopé, who knew everything said, “It wasn’t just an 
ordinary ghost, it was the ghost of Nanda!”</p>
	<p align="justify">Våndävana is the place for those who are unable to give their 
hearts to their children and family. They leave everyone crying 
for them and like refugees come to Våndävana and cry exclusively 
for Kåñëa. Even very fine sons and daughters of kings come to 
Våndävana to give their hearts to Kåñëa and engage in bhajana.</p>
		<p align="justify">Kåñëa told Arjuna, “This is man-manä bhava. Absorb your mind 
in Me as the gopésdid.”</p>
	<p align="justify">Arjuna replied, “My Lord, this is a battlefield! How is it possible for 
me to give my heart here? You told me to fight against Grandfather 
Bhéñma, Droëäcärya and Karëa. I am unable to do it.”</p>
	<p align="justify">Next He will explain “mad-bhakto – become My devotee.”</p>
	
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